Amusement apparatus



' March 22, 1927.

F. v. BURROW AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Aug. 12. 1926 INVEN TOR, Frank VBUJZ'OLU ATTORNEY.

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Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

FRANK v. BURROW, or GLENDALE, oazrronum, Assmnon or onnrr'rrnn 'ro anon-er. H. WINcnnLL, or urnsnosnn, orrnarrorca.

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Application filed August 12, 1926.

My invention relates to an amusement device and more particularly to dancing figure connected to and actuated by a target.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a novel amusement device, for pleasure resorts and amusement p'arks, in which a target struck by a thrown ball will cause a jointed figure, made to simulate a human being, to go through motions resembling those of a person dancing the Charleston.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter and while I show herewith and will describe a preferred form of consirrurtion, I desire it to be understood that I do not limit my invention to such preferred form, but that various changes and adaptations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

Referring to the drawings which accompany this specification and form a part thereof.

Fig. 1 is a front view of my amusement device showing two sections thereof, certain parts of one section being broken away to more clearly disclose the construction.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1, taken approximately on line 22 of that figure.

The device is designed to be set up in multiple sections to accommodate several players at the same time, each section being complete in itself and independent of the other sections. It consists of a framework supporting a partially enclosed structure having side walls 10, a rear wall 11 and a ceiling 12, but with the front end thereof left open. An upper floor 13 is built across the rear end of the structure, somewhat above the middle of its height, and a canvas 14: is stretched between said upper floor and the ground floor 15 of the structure, so as to wall off a space 16 between said. canvas and said rear wall 11. Similarly large meshed woven wire 17 is stretched between floor 13 and the ceiling 12 of the structure, so as to screen the space 18 between said woven wire and rear wall 11, while leaving this space open to view from the front of the structure.

A jointed figure, simulating the form of a man or other human being, is suspended to the ceiling of the structure, in the middle of each section, by a helical spring 20, attached to the head of the figure, and to a Serial No. 128,728.

hook 21 fixed in the ceiling, the tension of the spring be made such that the figure, when at rest, is held slightly above fioor 18, but when agitated, is allowed to vibrate vers tically through several inches of space. A. cord 22 is attached to the body part of the figure so that it extends downwardly therefrom through an aperture 23 in floor 13 into space 16.

A target disc 2% is fixed to the vertical arm 25 of a bell crank 26, in the middle of each section, which is pivoted in blocks 27 attached to a cross-bar just behind canvas partition 14. The horizontal arm 29 of bell crank 26 extends rearwardly from pivot blocks 27 and is resiliently held in its normal position by a helical spring 30 at tached to a hook 81,in the end of arm 29,

and a second hook 32 in a bracket 33, thereabove, which is fastened to rear wall 11. A stay-cord 34: is attached to hook 31 and to a third hook 355, fixed in wall 11, below the end of arm 29, the length of said stay-cord being such as to limit the upward movement of said arm 29 beyond a horizontal position.

The lower end of cord 22 is attached to a fourth hook 86, in the upper side of arm 29, directly under suspending hook 21 which supports the figure, a certain amount of slack being left in the cord, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit free action of the figure. Openings 37, somewhat larger than target discs 2 and concentric therewith, are made in canvas partition 14 so as to expose them to view from the front of the structure.

The operation of the amusement device {has constructed may be described as fol ows:

Balls are thrown at the targets 24 from the open front of the structure by players stationed at a suitable distance from the targets. "When a target is struck the force of the ball causes bell crank 26 to turn on its pivot into approximately the position inand is held in that position by stay cord 34, the figure vibrates vertically and the pivoted arms and legs thereof swing for some time, in a manner which closely resembles the movements of a person dancing the Charleston.

Having thus illustrated and described my invention, I claim:

1. An amusement device comprising a bell crank, pivoted to swing about a horizontal axis, with one arm thereof held 1n a vertical position and the other in a horizontal position; a jointed figure, simulating the form of a human being, resiliently suspended above said bell crank; a target disc fixed on the vertical arm of said bell crank; a cord connecting said jointed figure to the horizontal arm of said bell crank, so that a downward pull is exerted on said jointed figure when said horizontal arm swings downwardly; means for restoring said bell crank to its normal position and means for holding it in that position.

2. An amusement device comprising a partially enclosed structure having side walls, a rear wall and a celling; a transverse upper fioor near the rear end of said structure; a canvas partition below and a woven wire partition above said upper floor, said partitions extending transversely of said structure in front of said upper floor; a jointed figure behind said woven wire partition and above said upper floor, said jointed figure being made to simulate the form of a human being and being suspended from the ceiling of said structure by a helical spring; a bell crank pivoted on a horizontal axis, with one arm thereof held in a vertical and the other in a horizontal position, behind said canvas partition and below said upper floor; atarget disc fixed on the vertical arm of said bell crank, so as to be visible from the front of said structure, through openings made in said canvas partition; a cord connecting said jointed figure to the horizontal arm of said bell crank through an aperture in said upper floor, whereby a downward pull is exerted on said jointed figure when said bell crank is caused to turn on its axis by the impact of a thrown ball against said target, and means for restoring said bell crank to its normal position, thus relaxing said cord and allowing said jointed figure to vibrate vertically.

FRANK V. BURROW. 

